ghosts & shadows: the women who haunt the talmud

Wives, sisters, mothers, daughters, prostitutes and maids - these women have no names and yet have an elusive haunting presence in the Talmudic texts. They often subvert the male rabbinic thinking, provide the counter-voice and bring about changes in the narrative. With scant details they cast a shadow and assert their presence. These multi-layered embroideries quote the Talmudic text, and use the formal layout of the Vilna Talmud. But beneath those layers there are glimpses of the female form and hints towards their stories.

(click on each image to see the full images of each piece)

R. Yohanan's sister

The one who tried to keep them together R. Yohnan persuaded Resh Lakish to learn Torah with him, by offering his sister as a wife saying that she was more beautiful than him. The two men later fell out in a bitter angry argument, and despite her pleading, they died, unreconciled. (Bava Metziah 84a)

R. Eliezer's wife

The one who gave up healing her husband’s woundsR.Eliezer was plagued with doubts that in his anger he had condemned a man to die. His doubts manifested in his body, covering him with bleeding sores that his wife would tend to. When she realised his physical suffering was self-inflicted, she left him. (Bava Metziah 84b)

the Matrona

The one who was spurned for asking a questionThis rich lady asked R. Eliezer a Torah question. He refused to answer her, saying that women’s wisdom is in their spinning, and telling his students that Torah should be burnt rather than taught to women. She stopped being his patron. (Talmud Yerusalmi, Sotah 3:4)

Shmuel's daughters

The ones who knew what to say to the Rabbis These girls testified a Rabbinical court that they had been kidnapped but they had not been sexually active. The Rabbis accepted this and they were allowed to marry. The rabbis later realised that they were daughters of a scholar, and therefore they knew how to play the system. (Ketubot 23a)

Rebbe's maid

The one who stood between heaven and earthRebbe was dying and the rabbis, and his maid, prayed for his life. But she then saw his physical suffering and disturbed the prayers by breaking a vessel. This disrupted the concentration and Rebbe was able to die. (Ketubot 104a)

Eleazer b. Dorai's prostitute

The one who farted and revealed a truthEleazer b. Dorai visited many prostitutes. During sex with this particular expensive one, she farted and compared it to his inability to repent. Upset by this, Eleazer called on the mountains, the stars and heavens to pray for him. When they said that they couldn’t, he realised he was alone, and he wept and died. Then a heavenly voice came announced he, in that moment, he had repented. (Avodah Zora 17a)

Abba Hilkah's wife

The bejewelled one whose bread brought the rainWhen Abba Hilka and his wife both prayed for rain, the rainclouds first appeared in her corner. This was attributed to her donations of bread to the poor. (Ta’anit 23b)

R. Akiva's daughter

The one who conquered a snake on her wedding nightShe was forecast to die of a snakebite on her wedding night, but changed her fate when, during her wedding, she looked after a beggar who everyone else ignored. that night she stabbed a snake with her brooch. (Shabbat 156b)

R. Sheshet's mother

The one who bared her breasts and saved a life R. Sheshet was offended by the disrespect shown to him by another rabbi, causing this rabbi to become very ill. R. Sheshet refused to forgive him until his mother publicly bared her breasts and reminded R. Sheshet of his physical origins. (Bava Batra 9b)

R. Hisda's daughter

The one who married both menR. Hisda told his daughter to choose between his 2 students. She refused, saying that she was going to marry both. And she did, with a 10 year gap in-between. During those 10 years of widowhood she kept herself fertile by fantasising of her next husband. (Bava Batra 12a and Yevamot 34a)